Max Cohen

May 30, 2025

A Look Back at Art2Wear: Revive

In Art2Wear: Revive, students broke tradition and rebuilt something unforgettable. Through immersive design, mythic themes and a touch of plastic, the show redefined what wearable art can be.

Mar 13, 2025

Two Graphic Design Students Featured on GDUSA’s Students to Watch List

Two students from the college's graphic and experience design program are making their mark on the industry. Megan Mersch is blending artistry with human-centered design to craft seamless digital experiences, while Rebecca Planchart is shaping the future of UX and AI, using design to bridge gaps in public health, government, and emerging technology. Meet GDUSA’s Students to Watch and see how they’re redefining what design can do.

Jan 7, 2025

NC State Creatives: Tatiana Veloso

To Tatiana Veloso, design has a powerful ability to connect individuals to each other and to the places they inhabit. A 2024 graduate of the Master of Landscape Architecture program, her work bridges the gap between art, science, and community engagement.

Nov 22, 2024

NC State Creatives: Lauren Miller

Lauren Miller, a recent graduate of NC State's College of Design, is an award-winning animator and storyteller. Her animated short Touch won 'Best of the Fest' at the Queer Expressions Film Festival. With a passion for human-centered design and uplifting underrepresented communities, Lauren creates work that resonates with diverse audiences.

Nov 12, 2024

Cultivating Design Solutions with Green Heffa Farms

In the spring of 2024, PhD student and instructor Erin White brought students from his D101 Design Thinking course to solve multiple challenges faced at Green Heffa Farms. The students, many of whom are not design majors, addressed challenges such as storage issues, workflow efficiency and social media strategy.

Oct 8, 2024

Shawcroft Drawing Competition Celebrates 30th Year

Four students were awarded prizes for their work during the 30th Shawcroft Drawing Competition. Submissions are judged based on students’ use of hand drawing skills in the categories of the design process, documentation and analysis, and presentation.

Sep 3, 2024

Recent Grad Brings Home 2024 IDSA Student Merit Award

Industrial Design alumnus Danny Wang [BID '24] recently won the IDSA Student Merit Award for the South District. This means Danny will compete at the International Design Conference & Education Symposium in Austin, Texas September 11-13 for the national award.

Jul 16, 2024

Crowning Glory: Industrial Design Alumna Featured at CAM

Samantha Everette's love for photography began while studying abroad in Ghana as an industrial design student. Equipped for the first time with a semi-professional camera, she immediately experienced the joy of capturing portraits of people and their culture. Now, her work is making waves in the Triangle's creative community.

Apr 19, 2024

NC State Creatives: Ashtyn Thomas

To first-year architecture student Ashtyn Thomas, design represents possibility and opportunity. In addition to celebrating her Lumbee identity and community, she is using her passion to design spaces that provide economic stability, cultural enrichment and resilience for indigenous communities throughout North Carolina.

Apr 11, 2024

Unity Through Design: Q&A with Melissa Manjarrez Dominguez

Raised in the heart of a community ravaged by cartel fighting, Melissa Manjarrez Dominguez witnessed firsthand the spread of violence and fear. Yet, amid the chaos, she also observed something remarkable – the power of certain spaces to bring people together, offering respite from the turmoil and fostering unity.

Mar 8, 2024

Two Graphic Design Students Featured in GDUSA’s Students to Watch

Graphic Design students Erin Secosky and Bhavana Veeravalli were recently featured as part of GDUSA’s 2024 “Students to Watch” list.

Jan 25, 2024

Alumna Dare Coulter wins 2024 Coretta Scott King Book Award

Alumna Dare Coulter [Art + Design '15], illustrator of “An American Story,” is one of two winners of the 2024 Coretta Scott King Book Awards honoring African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults.

Jan 10, 2024

Q&A: Lesley-Ann Noel on Her New Book, “Design Social Change”

Assistant Professor Lesley-Ann Noel's recently-published book, titled "Design Social Change" was written as a guide for topics, mindsets and principles that designers can use to drive the way they think about change. We talked with Dr. Noel about the book's mission and inspiration.

Dec 12, 2023

Breaking the Stereotype: Using AI to Support Diversity in STEM

Ashley Anderson's research looks at why there aren't as many Black students earning degrees in STEM fields, and is looking at how generative AI can be used a tool to foster diversity and belonging.

Nov 9, 2023

NC State Creatives: Weatherly Reeves

Weatherly is a sophomore in Design Studies, and she believes design is an avenue to tell stories that uplift others. She recently illustrated her first book which tells the story of a young Andy Griffith.

Sep 29, 2023

2023 Shawcroft Prize Winners Announced

Four students were awarded prizes for their work. Submissions are judged based on students’ use of hand drawing skills in the categories of the design process, documentation and analysis, and presentation.

Sep 8, 2023

NC State Creatives: Danny Garrett

As a former Marine, Danny is using his time in the MAAS program to research factors that contribute to veteran homelessness and suicide. Ultimately, he aims to design a sustainable, supportive, community-based housing typology that pinpoints the specific needs of veterans.

Aug 29, 2023

Q&A | Emily Burdo on Embedded Counseling at the College of Design

Emily Burdo, LCSW, has taken on the role of a full-time embedded counselor at the College of Design. In her new capacity within the college, Burdo's primary objective is to establish an inviting environment for personalized emotional support. Additionally, she aims to equip students with the necessary resources to explore various avenues of mental health assistance.

Jul 7, 2023

Back to the Pack: Mary Hauser

Mary Hauser is the Associate Director and Registrar at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design. Hauser earned her Bachelor of Industrial Design in 2001, and her Master of Industrial Design in 2004 at the College of Design. She shared her story from her time as a student to her time with NC State as a professional in the second installment of Back to the Pack.

Jun 30, 2023

A Continuing Legacy: Susan Toplikar Fund Connects Students to Professionals

Through a fund named after one of the College of Design's most missed instructors, students are gaining the opportunity to build new meaningful relationships with professionals across the Triangle.

Jun 23, 2023

Back to the Pack: Luna Vanaman

Luna Vanaman earned her Bachelor of Industrial Design from the College of Design in 2000, and currently works as the lead interactive media producer for NC State University's Communications Office. She shared her story from her time as a student to her time with NC State as a professional as part of our new series, Back to the Pack.

May 30, 2023

Celebrating Our 75th Birthday Through Community and Collaboration

The online 75th birthday celebration for the NC State College of Design was filled with nostalgia, joy and connection with the institution's rich legacy. Throughout the day, alumni and community partners took to social media to share their recollections of the college.

May 4, 2023

Art2Wear Celebrates Motion, Life and Change

Art2Wear 2023 had a mission to inspire students to create wearable art as part of a greater narrative that includes art, fashion, digital production, world-building and storytelling.

Mar 31, 2023

In 2023, Art2Wear is Kinetic – and you’re invited.

Tickets for the 2023 Art2Wear show are now on sale! This year's production will move away from a traditional runway format and widen its lens to include a wider retinue of choreography, set design, entertainment and environmental styling.

Jan 13, 2023

Alumna Abigail Happel Featured in Madame Architect

Abby Happel [BEDA '22] pursued her undergraduate degree in architecture at NC State's College of Design. She is interested in the study of biophilic design principles and their influence on human health and the environment. She recently spoke with Madame Architect on studio culture, transparency and embracing complexity.

Jan 9, 2023

A Digital Heritage: Interdisciplinary Project Aims to Bring Colombian Church to Life

By combining the fields of archaeology and 3D design, Assistant Professor of Archaeology Julie K. Wesp and Assistant Professor of Media Arts, Design and Technology, Justin Johnson are working together to bring a centuries-old church back to life.

Nov 21, 2022

Turan Duda, FAIA Receives NC State’s Distinguished Alumni Award

As an internationally renowned architect, Turan has designed notable regional, national and international projects including the North Carolina State University Talley Student Union, 405 Colorado in Austin, the Center for Health & Wellbeing in Winter Park, and Ikon Tower in Monterrey, Mexico.

Nov 11, 2022

Duda Traveling Fellowship Offers New Perspectives on Latin American Architecture

Architecture graduates Anusha Khansaheb and Caroline Anderson recently returned from a research expedition to four Latin American cities. Together, they addressed the impact of architecture in a post-colonial landscape, and how unique identities tie into how these cities develop.

Oct 14, 2022

Latinx Voices of Design: Clarissa Gernat

Clarissa Gernat is in her first year as a graduate student in the college's Art+Design program. She shared her experiences growing up with her family in Honduras, how her heritage ties into her creativity and her experiences at the College of Design.

Oct 13, 2022

Not Just for Looks: Industrial Design Students Reimagine Cosmetics Packaging

Industrial Design students at the College of Design worked with Eastman Chemical Company to create refillable, reusable and rechargeable (“R/R”) packaging for the luxury cosmetics industry. In the studio, students worked with Eastman’s Tritan™, Cristal™, or Cristal™ One materials – each created to reduce plastic waste without compromising product aesthetic and usability.

Oct 10, 2022

For my sister, your sister, our sisters. 

Master of Industrial Design student Alan Yeh was approached by the NC State Iranian Student Association to spread awareness around the death of Mahsa Amini and the challenges Iranian women face.

Oct 3, 2022

NC State Creatives: Makayla Esposito

Makayla Esposito is a graduate student in the NC State College of Design’s Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning program and she is passionate about making the invisible, visible.

Sep 23, 2022

Latinx Voices of Design: Melissa Manjarrez Dominguez

Melissa Manjarrez Dominguez is a first-year graduate student in the college's Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning program. In her story, she recalls her youth in Sinaloa, Mexico, her experiences facing anti-immigration legislation in Alabama, and her desire to create landscapes that are enriching and available to everyone.

Sep 21, 2022

Industrial Design Graduate Wins Gold at 2022 IDEA Awards

Master of Industrial Design graduate, Abby Scheer, recently won Gold in the Student Category for the 2022 IDSA IDEA Awards. The award is considered by many to be the most prestigious product and industrial design award in the United States.

Aug 17, 2022

Accessible Design Takes Spotlight in Competition

Fourteen students were tasked with designing a new building that focuses on accessibility and universal design on NC State Centennial Campus that would serve the Poole College of Management and the Graduate School.

Jul 14, 2022

Student Brings Home 2022 IDSA Top Prize

Master of Industrial Design student Maggie Jarrett has been named the 2022 IDSA Graduate Student Merit Award winner for the South District.

Jun 17, 2022

Can We Reverse the Rise in Maternal Mortality?

Two Ph.D. students from the College of Design joined a team of UNC-Chapel Hill doctoral candidates and won the 2022 Map the System Competition in Chapel Hill. Now, they are headed to Oxford University to compete against research teams from around the globe.

Jun 14, 2022

3D-Printed Ceramics Encompass Art, Technology and Tradition

The College of Design is buzzing with innovation as students and teachers alike discover new ways to mix creativity with technology. For one faculty member, that means taking clay craft to a new level by 3D printing ceramics.

May 31, 2022

Mark Templeton Wants You to Think Outside the Box

College of Design alumnus Mark Templeton, NC State’s fall 2021 commencement speaker, crowned a storied career several years ago by retiring as CEO of Citrix, a multibillion-dollar software company.

May 24, 2022

Student Profile: Iyare Oronsaye Seeks to Improve Diversity in Animation

Iyare Oronsaye is currently the director and assistant professor of the animation and illustration program at the University of Northwestern as well as a student practitioner in the College of Design's Doctor of Design (DDes) program. As a DDes student, Oronsaye is researching how inclusivity can make positive impacts within the animation industry.

May 20, 2022

When Graphic Design Meets Big Tech: Red Hat Sponsored Studio Tackles Autonomous Vehicles

Graphic design students recently partnered with Red Hat to create solutions for a world dominated by autonomous vehicles. Students then had to design for a variety of human factors such as family needs, career specializations and security concerns.

May 12, 2022

Art + Design’s Derek Ham to be Featured at Cannes

Department Head of Art + Design, Derek Ham, will have his most recent completed VR title, “Barnstormers: Determined to Win” shown in one of the world’s most well-known and prestigious film festivals - the 2022 Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes. 

Apr 22, 2022

Coastal Dynamics Project Awarded Part of $2 Million Grant for Environmental Justice

The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has named the NC State College of Design's Coastal Dynamics Design Lab as one of 15 climate-focused projects to receive an Environmental Justice for Climate grant. The CEC’s first $2 million EJ4Climate grant program is aimed at supporting efforts made toward environmental justice and climate resilience for communities across North America.

Apr 19, 2022

New state partnership to support local planning for community resilience

The N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) has committed funding to the NC State Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL) for the development of five North Carolina community floodprint reports over the next three years. A valuable tool for building future community resilience, a floodprint is a landscape planning approach developed by CDDL to address land and water relationships. The floodprint development process incorporates issues such as flooding, recovery and equity into the planning process.

Apr 15, 2022

Art2Wear Takes the Stage in 2022

On April 27 in Talley Student Union’s Stewart Theatre, spotlights will once again shine on the runway following Art2Wear’s two-year hiatus from its widely anticipated in-person fashion show. The annual event is organized and hosted by the College of Design’s Art + Design department, and usually attracts about 1,000 attendees including NC State students, greater Raleigh community members and industry partners.

Apr 12, 2022

Retired Materials Lab Instructor Jack Lancaster Passes Away at 79

Ibby Jackson Lancaster III, known as Jack or Jackie, passed away on March 29, 2022 after a brief battle with lung cancer. Jack worked at the College of Design for over three decades, and has made a lasting impression on generations of students.

Apr 8, 2022

2022 Shawcroft Prize Winners Announced

The Brian Shawcroft Prize is awarded every year to an architecture student nominated by a faculty member for their excellent hand drawing skills. This year marks the 28th year of the competition.

Jan 19, 2022

NC State Creatives: Apeksha Yadav

Apeksha Yadav is a graduate student in the Industrial Design program, and she's working to reduce the environmental impact of the digital world.

Jan 7, 2022

From A-to-Z: Lesley-Ann Noel and Decolonizing Design

Assistant Professor of Art + Design Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel aims to bring underrepresented voices into everyday design education through social innovation, inclusive community-led research and public health solutions. By creating tools such as the Designer’s Critical Alphabet and the “Who Am I” Positionality Wheel, she is making conversations around race and bias more common in classrooms and workplaces.

Dec 20, 2021

Learning Beyond the Classroom: An Alumnus Celebrates a Patent Award Milestone

Prasad Joshi is a 2018 graduate from the Master of Industrial Design program at the College of Design, and was recently awarded a patent along with fellow student Charity Kirk for their work on a bassinet design. He shared his experiences with applying an interdisciplinary approach to a new design, the importance of collaboration and how a student project became a patented product.